Amazon

As a novelist, I am used to having complete control over the world on my computer screen. Life, death, sin, redemption: My characters' lives are in my hands. But last week, I got yet another reminder of my utter powerlessness once the book leaves home. Amazon.com took away my "buy" button. I'm not the only author I know who obsessively checks her Amazon rankings. It's not that I have any real idea what they mean: how they translate into how many books have sold or what kind of royalties I can expect.

SEATTLE — Amazon.com Inc., addressing issues that have drawn heavy criticism of the company, told shareholders that it planned to improve warehouse conditions and drop its membership in a conservative public-policy organization. More than 100 protesters rallied outside the company's annual shareholders meeting Thursday at the Seattle Art Museum, calling on the Internet retailer to pay more taxes, treat its workers better and drop its membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Amazon.com Inc. upped the ante in its effort to overturn a new state law requiring all Internet sellers to collect sales taxes on purchases by California customers. The Seattle online retailer reported late last week that it contributed $2.25 million to the More Jobs Not Taxes campaign to qualify a referendum for the June primary election ballot. The contribution brought the company's cumulative investment in the campaign to $5.25 million. The referendum, if signed by at least 505,000 registered voters, would ask voters whether they want to uphold the law, which took effect July 1, or repeal it. Amazon is asking for a repeal, saying the California law is an unconstitutional interference with interstate commerce.

On the eve of Apple's expected rollout of a new iPhone, Amazon has slashed by half the price of a Galaxy S III smartphone for new activations. The Seattle online retailer is selling the 16-gigabyte version of the phone for $99 for those who sign up for a two-year service contract with wireless carriers AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. Amazon said the offer was for a "very limited time" but did not specify when it would expire. Amazon is also offering smaller discounts for those who already have an account with one of the carriers and want to upgrade to the Galaxy S III. Purchasers of the Sprint and Verizon versions of the phone can save $50 and AT&T buyers can save $20. Users can also get a discount if adding a family line, knocking the price down to $119 for the Sprint version and $139 for Verizon.

Amazon.com rolled out a streaming TV and movie service for its prime customers, taking a direct shot at fast growing rival Netflix. Amazon announced Tuesday that its prime customers, who pay $79 a year for free two-day shipping, can choose among 5,000 TV shows and movies such as "Syriana," "Doctor Who: Season 4," and "Analyze This" to stream through computers and devices such as Roku. Netflix shares fell 4 percent in opening trade on Tuesday while shares of Amazon were down 2.6 percent.

The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD is set to start shipping to customers Friday and is already available for pre-orders. If you're thinking about getting this new tablet, join us Thursday afternoon as I open up the unit Amazon just shipped us to review. LIVE KINDLE FIRE HD UNBOXING: Join us at 2 p.m. today With the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, Amazon is going toe-to-toe with the Google Nexus 7 that came out this summer. On paper, the new Amazon tablet sounds impressive and looks like a vast improvement over the original Kindle Fire, but does it hold up in person?

The world's biggest online retailer is now competing more directly with the nation's biggest DVD rental service. Amazon.com has agreed to acquire the shares it does not already own in Lovefilm International, a DVD and online film rental service similar to Netflix that operates in Europe. The Seattle company already holds a 42% stake in Lovefilm, which is headquartered in London and Luxembourg. Financial details were not disclosed, although the Financial Times said the deal values Lovefilm at about $317 million.

The editors of the British website the Kernel bought a copy of the e-book "Naughty Daughter Abducted ... (taboo daddy daughter erotica)" on Amazon, and did not like what they saw. "The book is a sick rape fantasy with language and details too graphic for a family-friendly publication to reproduce," they wrote in a story about pornographic e-books being sold by the online retailer. In its heated report ("How Amazon Cashes in on Kindle Filth"), the Kernel found hundreds of e-books that include scenarios of rape, incest and "forced sex" with young girls -- findings that have led to an outcry in Britain . Here in the United States, the 1st Amendment protects some such works as free speech.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching, but according to one research group, consumers have crowned the retailer they think provides the best value: Amazon.com. The online retailer has many of its brick-and-mortar competitors hustling to compete. Rivals such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target have unleashed holiday initiatives such as price-matching guarantees, same-day delivery and shopping aisles synced with smartphones through QR codes . Target trailed Amazon in second place in the BrandIndex report from consumer research firm YouGov.

The companies with the most positive buzz last year include retail brands such as Target, automakers such as Ford and tech giants such as Apple. YouGov BrandIndex rated the companies by asking survey respondents throughout the year whether they had heard anything about the brands recently through advertising, news or word of mouth. The most in-the-now businesses, in order: 1. Subway 2. Amazon 3. History Channel 4. Google 5. Cheerios 6. Lowe's 7. Ford 8. Discovery Channel 9. Target 10. Apple Top-ranked Subway was the only dining establishment to crack the top 10, with its increasing emphasis on fresh and healthy ingredients and sodium reduction while maintaining its reputation for budget meals . Amazon landed high because of its Kindle Fire launch and dominance of online retailing.